Selected by NAMIC, the Next Generation Leaders Awards recognize emerging executives of color – business leaders demonstrating exceptional managerial acumen while embracing NAMIC's mission to educate, advocate and empower for diversity and inclusion in the communications industry. Presented in partnership with Multichannel News, awards are presented in four categories: Cable Programmer, Cable MSO, Technology Company/Discipline and Creative Discipline. Executives of color age 45 and under were eligible for nomination. Durant (Programmer), Kotay (Tech Company/Discipline), Laguarda (MSO), and Mehra (Creative Discipline) were selected from the esteemed nominees. In addition to the top honorees, a group of NAMIC Luminaries will also be recognized. Since the inception of the award in 2006, NAMIC has recognized 24 Next Generation Leaders and 51 Luminaries.

Irene Esteves, executive vice president and chief financial officer, Time Warner Cable, this year's honorary chair of the NAMIC Annual Awards Breakfast commented: "I look forward to celebrating the honorees announced today. I applaud each of them for their professional achievements and for what they have done to foster multi-ethnic diversity and inclusion in our industry."

For more information about the Next Generation Leaders Awards and the NAMIC Annual Awards Breakfast including questions regarding sponsorship and ticket/table purchases, contact Sandra Girado, director of Meetings and Events, at NAMIC National, 212-594-5985. Log onto http://namic.com to access online registration.

ABOUT NAMIC

NAMIC (National Association for Multi-ethnicity in Communications) is the premier organization focusing on multi-ethnic diversity in the communications industry. Founded in 1980 as a non-profit trade association, today NAMIC comprises over 2,600 professionals belonging to a network of 16 chapters nationwide. Through initiatives that focus on education, advocacy and empowerment, NAMIC champions equity and inclusion in the workforce, with special attention given to ensuring that the leadership cadres of our nation's communications industry giants reflect the multi-ethnic richness of the populations they serve. For more information, please visit www.namic.com and stay connected to NAMIC on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and DiversityLive: The Business > Social NAMIC Network.